A Pack Called Home
by AwesomeRedVampire
Summary: Mika, the proud son of his pack's alpha, has received disturbing news regarding something happening in his territory. Upon discovering the source, he finds himself on a path that will change everything. Modern Au with werewolves instead of vampires with a few OCs and many others Rated T and M just to be safe for language and violence, with the possibility of sexual themes later on.
1. prologue

A/N: Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I last posted any kind of fanfiction (about 3 or so years I think) and I wrote this as a way to get myself back into the swing of things. Please keep in mind that this is just a prologue and that there are a few more chapters that are in the works, but I'm just doing this as a test run for now so I would greatly appreciate any form of feedback, either in the form of a private message or a review. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Now without any further ado the disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for the OC(S). The others belong to Darren Shan, the author, and creator of this fantastic world.

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**Prologue**

The black-clad would be alpha carefully picked his way through the thick undergrowth of the forest. He had been wandering through this stretch of woods for days, surveying the area with a calculating sharp-eyed examination. He had received reports that there was something in this area that would be of interest to him and his pack back home. Rumors had spread of a wolf in this area and he had been tasked with discovering who this wolf was and what it was doing in their territory. Mika snorted in annoyance, he had yet to see signs of this supposed wolf and was convinced that he was just chasing his tail. He didn't believe the rumors, no one in their right mind would knowingly trespass in this territory. Even a lone wolf knew better than to traipse through this area, it had belonged to his pack for generations.

Mika might be the son of the current alpha, but he still felt that his time was better served elsewhere, this was a job for a scout not someone of his ranking. He sighed. That wasn't explicitly true and he knew it. It was an alphas job to protect the pack and if he was truly going be an alpha one day, any reports of an interloper were his problem. A lone wolf could be dangerous, most of the time they didn't know the laws of the packs and would put them all in danger with their actions. In the last few hundred years or so, there were very few reports of lone wolfs and the damage they caused. One report stated that the foolish individual had single-handedly been the cause of one pack's destruction. The wolf had been killing indiscriminately in both his wolf and human forms and it had really only been a matter of time before he had been caught and killed.

Unfortunately, he had been killing in an established packs territory and his actions had the nearby people scared of attacks from their silent, reclusive neighbors in the forest. Normally, the pack and the village had had a truce of sorts, they interacted with each other rarely and both sides were satisfied with the arrangement. It was only when people started disappearing and reappearing as bloody torn up corpses that the people started to worry. Rumors had begone to spread that the community in the woods were evil witches that served demons and other dark entities that a panic swept through the area. Eventually, when the killer had been discovered, he had panicked and shifted into a wolf in front of several witnesses before fleeing into the supposed safety of the forest. The trail led straight to the pack, who had inadvertently sheltered the man. No one was spared from the massacre that had taken place, even the children had been slaughtered for fear that they were just as contaminated by the evil sorcery of the adults.

Mika shuddered. That had been one of the darker stories he'd heard growing up. He could remember shaking in fear as a young pup when the elders had told all the pups that lesson. Humans could be more dangerous than any other force on the planet, they had told the group. They were the only species that killed for pleasure and personal gain as well as food. There were a select few that knew about their existence and were willing to help them navigate the human world and blend in, but they should never reveal what they were unless they knew the person could be trusted. Mika knew of a few humans in the nearby small town that were aware of the pack's existence, but as far as most of the townsfolk knew, his pack was a group of individuals who preferred the seclusion and peace of the woodland than that of the bustling city miles away.

Mika was pulled from his thoughts as an unusual scent drifted past. He paused, trying to catch the scent again when a tuft of fur caught his attention. Stepping closer to examine it, he discovered that this was where the scent had come from. Picking the tuft out of a high brier patch, he gave it a critical once over. Mika knew of the scents and fur textures of all the wolves in the pack, but this one was new to him. The hair was corse, like it hadn't been properly washed in ages. The layers of dirt and grime had made guessing the original color impossible, but Mika guessed that it was either a dark brown or black color. Mika surveyed the area closely as he stood, trying to find more evidence that would lead him to the owner of this fur. He wished it had rained recently, the earth was too dry to have any prints pressed into its surface and he was left with little choice but to continue onward.

Sometime later, the same unusual scent drifted past him, this time stronger than before. He stopped again, catching more of the scent until he had it memorized. This was definitely another wolf, there was no mistaking that distinctive smell, though he was surprised to note that the smell was female. He frowned, lone wolves were rare, but lone female wolves were another matter entirely. It wasn't that females were rare exactly, but the number of males still exceeded the female population by a fair amount. His wolf rumbled its displeasure at the thought of a female on her own. They both knew that females were strong in their own right, they had to be in order to survive in this world, but that didn't mean they still liked the idea.

Following the scent, Mika found himself going deeper into the forest, the terrain making it difficult to move. Growing more and more irritated, he decided that it would be easier to shift forms than try to follow the small deer trails that wound their way through the trees. After he'd shifted, he shook out his black fur and stretched. It had been a few days since the wolf was free and it was going to take this time to enjoy the sensation. Mika was still in control of his human mind, he and his wolf had lived in harmony since they had first been aware of the other's existence, but there were still times when he had to keep his animal side under control. Once he was done stretching, he wove his way between the trees, his footsteps light and practically soundless. He was in his element, there were times when he felt freer as a wolf than as a man, but he still kept his mind on his job. His sharper senses were definitely an asset right now. True, he had heightened senses in human form, but the crispness that came in wolf form couldn't be denied. Now he would have little trouble finding this unknown female, wherever she may be hiding.

Eventually, Mika found himself in a small clearing. A small stream wound its way through the trees and he walked over to it. Once he had drunk his fill, he studied his reflection. He was a bigger wolf than most, he built wide while still being streamlined. His was a presence that couldn't be denied, and he took pride in that. Even when he'd been a pup, he had stood out from his littermates, even before he was aware of his standing within the pack, the others would look to him for guidance, instinctually knowing that he was more dominant than themselves. True, there had been times when others had challenged his authority, but all it took to make them back down was a steady gaze and within moments they would drop their gazes and step back. As he grew older, he started taking lessons on being an alpha. He'd thought the lessons were pointless, he breezed through them with little difficulty and didn't understand why everyone had made a big deal about his accomplishments. He was a natural-born leader, pure and simple. He trusted in his instincts and knew they would guide him when lessons alone weren't enough.

A noise pulled him from his thoughts and his head flew up, ears pricked and rotating, trying to hear the noise again. It had sounded like a soft whimper, but it had been so soft that he wasn't sure if that had been what he'd truly heard. He sniffed the air cautiously and stiffened slightly at the scent of blood, wolf blood. Slowly and cautiously, he followed the scent to the other side of the clearing. He heard the sound again and this time he was sure it was a whimper, one of pain and sadness. Staying in the shadows of the underbrush, he crept closer until he found her. There before him was the female he'd been tracking. She was laying on her side, her breathing shallow and ragged. He examined her from head to tail and was stunned by the condition she was in. She was smaller than she should've been, it was clear that she was suffering from malnutrition and dehydration, and she was filthy, almost like the earth itself had latched onto her and seeped into her very being. She seemed young, or at least younger than himself. It was hard to gauge her actual age while she was in wolf form, but he estimated that she might be in her late teens at the very least.

A glint of something metallic caught his attention and he felt his anger rise when he realized what it was. She had been caught in a bear trap. Mika felt a growl rise up but pushed it back down. If he made such a noise now he would only cause the female to panic, maybe ever hurt herself worse than she already was. Retreating further, he shifted back to his human form before carefully making his way back to her. The rustling of the undergrowth caused her to pick her head up, sniffing the air cautiously before giving a small warning growl. Her voice was weak and strained and Mika knew that her situation was dire. She needed proper medical treatment but first, he had to get her out of that trap. He took a step forward and she growled again, this time a little harsher, and tried to pull herself to her feet, trying to keep her weight off her injured leg.

Mika allowed himself a moment to be impressed by this female. Even under overwhelming odds, she was still determined to protect herself, even in her weak condition. He rumbled his own warning and she paused, blinking up at him in confusion. She tilted her head slightly, sniffing the air as she tried to figure out what he was. Mika stood still as she took in his scent and after a few moments, he growled again, asserting his dominance over her. She twitched slightly but growled again, her lips drawing back to expose her teeth. Again, Mika was impressed by her actions, she was actually trying to challenge him. His wolf rumbled in approval inside him, equally pleased and annoyed with her. He circled her, keeping to her injured side and she turned, trying to keep her wounds away from him. Mika knew that her instincts were controlling her, wounds were a weakness that could be exploited and taken advantage of.

Having gotten a good grasp on her reactions, Mika shifted right in front of her and growled again, challenging her even more. She jumped back and gave a small yelp of pain, her actions causing her to forget that she was still trapped and wounded. As carefully as she could, she lowered herself to the ground, resting her head on her paws, looking up at him with submissive eyes. Mika huffed and sniffed her from head to tail, trying to detect any more injuries. When he got to the trap around her leg, he saw that it wasn't as bad as it could've been. The trap had been poorly designed, the gapping between the teeth were spread too far so instead of clamping its pray securely and breaking bones, it had caught and torn flesh. He sniffed the area around the wound as carefully as possible. One thing for sure was that she had been trapped here for some time, three days at the very least, and it seemed like she had tried to free herself but had only made the damage worse.

She whined again and Mika looked at her. She was giving him a look, her eyes asking for his help. He stepped back in front of her and lowered his head, licking her face once as an act of comfort. She rubbed her face against his and licked him in return, thanking him for his help. Turning his attention back to her leg, he knew that he wouldn't be able to accomplish much in his wolf form so he shifted back. Glancing over at her, he saw that she had laid her head back on her paws, trying to relax as much as possible in order for him to do what needed to be done. She was trusting him to help her, and he would do everything in his power to do so.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please leave a review or comment to let me know if I should continue this adventure. Thanks again.


	2. Chapter 1

**_This ended up being better received than I had thought it would so as long as people are enjoying it, I'll continue it for as long as I'm able to. Thank you to those that read and reviewed the prologue. So without any further ado let's move on to the next chapter._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story except for the OCS. The others belong to Darren Shan, the wonderful creator of this amazing world._**

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**Chapter 1**

After he'd released her from the trap, he'd shifted back into his wolf form and carefully led her back to the stream, watching over her as she slowly drank. Indicating that she should wait there, Mika had gone off to hunt. Any other time, he would relish the thrill of stalking prey through the undergrowth, the softness of the soil beneath his paws, the sound of the wind as it rustled the leaves in the trees over-head, the scents of the birds and animals that came from countless directions, but now he was single-minded in his determination to help a fellow wolf, one that was injured. Normally, wolves would only help members of their own packs, outsiders were rarely treated with just generosity and compaction, but there was just something about her, this single solitary female, that had interested him. Many questions crossed his mind as he hunted, but the most important one had to do with the whereabouts of her pack. In the last few generations, females were becoming a rarity, one female born to ever twenty or so males, so for a pack to cast out such a blessing was beyond his understanding.

Before long he returned to her with a rabbit he'd caught. He placed it before her and nudged it towards her, indicating that she should take it. She shook her head and took a tentative step back, knowing that the kill was his and that he should've taken it. He growled lightly and nudged it towards her again. They repeated this process a few more times before she acquiesced. She had eaten only a little of it before stopping and nudging it back to him, he growled lightly and nudged it back to her, telling her to eat more. She shook her head and shank to the ground, her injured leg stretched slightly away from her body, an irritated look on her face. She kept glancing from the rabbit to him, tilting her head. He huffed, knowing that she wouldn't be satisfied until he had eaten a little of it. As he ate a few bites, she got up and hobbled over to him, waiting for him to be finished. When he turned to look at him, she rubbed against him, thanking him for sharing his kill, licking his face and muzzle clean. He stiffened for a second but let her do what she wanted.

It had been a long time since someone had done something like this for him. On the rare occasions when he would accompany others on group hunts, they were too afraid of his position to really get close to him. Sure they did their parts during the hunt and they let him take what he wanted from the kill when they caught something, but none of them had taken the time to help clean him and make sure he wasn't injured as they would do with each other. He would watch them, and though he would deny it if he was ever asked, he was envious of the relationship they all seemed to have with each other, of the care they were more willing to show to ones of their own rank. It was in small moments like this that he hated being an alpha in training when he just wanted to be one of them, wanting to escape such responsibilities and titles when they were in the woods.

Mika was pulled from his thoughts as she was finishing up cleaning him, and when he returned the favor of cleaning her face, her tail wagging slightly. After he finished, he padded around her until he was in front of her wounded leg. Glancing at her to make sure it was ok, he started licking the wound clean. She gave a small whimper of pain but didn't stop him, though she did have difficulty trying to stand still, fighting against the instinct to pull her wound away from him. When he finished, she tentatively lowered her leg and tried to put some weight on it. When she tried to take a few steps, the movements stiff and jerky, she almost fell over. Mika was on her other side in an instant, letting her lean against him for support. She tried again, her body shaking slightly from the effort. After stumbling a few more times, she was finally able to walk smoothly. Leaving her to practice on her own, Mika watched from where he lay as she walked around the small clearing, his attention fixated intently on her. He was relieved that she was doing much better than she had hours ago.

The sun was starting to set and it was about time to find some sort of shelter for the night. Normally, he wouldn't have minded sleeping in the open, but he was worried about the she-wolfs condition. He yipped a little to get her attention and when she looked at him with her head tilted in confusion, he shifted into his human form. She hesitated for just a moment before trotting over to him. He crouched until he was eye level with her and spoke for the first time.

"My name is Mika Vur Leth. I know what you are and I want you to know that you can trust me. I'm the son of the alpha of the northern pack. I came here to find you and bring you back to the pack. It's dangerous for a wolf to be alone, there are many dangers that are worse than the creatures of the forest. If a human were to see you, they would try to drive you off, or worse they would hunt you down, capture you at best, kill you at worst. If you come with me, my pack can protect and guide you. But first, I'm going to need you to shift back into human form. I have questions that I need answered and you're the only one who can provide them."

The wolf looked hesitant, but Mika could tell that his words made sense to her. She lowered her head obediently and took a few steps back. Her change wasn't as fluid as his, almost like she hadn't changed forms in a long time. But the time she finished, she was collapsed on the ground on all fours, panting from the exertion. Her skin was pale, spotted with dirt and grime, her long dark hair was clumped and matted, sticking up in wild directions, but when she finally looked up at him, he could see the clarity and intelligence in her clear eyes. Mika wanted to start asking questions but found himself hesitating when he noticed something was missing from the girl, namely her clothing.

Normally, Mika wouldn't have been bothered, he knew of a few in the pack that didn't bother with clothing when they were shifting, nakedness was a part of nature they claimed, but he found it slightly unsettling to be questioning a naked woman in the woods. He felt his face heat up as he glanced away from her. It was one thing for mates to see each other, it was quite another for someone like himself who was unmated and didn't really plan on taking a mate anytime soon.

"Are you ok?"

He started at the voice and a glance out of the corner of his eye confirmed his suspicions that the girl had gotten up and moved closer. She was looking at him intently, trying to look into his face, a slight frown on her face.

"Fine," he muttered. He frowned at himself, his voice sounded thick, like he had something in his throat. He cleared it with a cough and tried again. "I'm fine. I just didn't expect you to be naked, that's all."

She looked down at herself, her frown deepening as if she had only just realized her state of undress before she shrugged. "Not much need for clothing in a place like this. Besides I'm usually in wolf form so I don't really think about things like that."

His wolf rumbled in approval and he frowned at it, telling it to be quiet. He needed to find something for her to wear, but his options were limited. With a sigh at himself, he slipped his shirt off and handed it to her.

"Here," he said, offering her the garment. "It's more acceptable for me to walk around without a shirt then you."

She took it from him with a small thanks and slipped it on. When she was somewhat covered, he looked at her. His shirt came down to her knees and he relaxed slightly. Now they could have a decent conversation. When he mentioned finding a safer place to talk she nodded, telling him to follow her. There was a cave a few miles south of where they were that she had been using as a temporary home and they could shelter there if he wanted. He nodded and she led the way back to her home.

Once they were seated in the cave Mika started asking her basic questions; who was she, where was she from, how long had she been here, did she know she was in another packs territory, things like that. She was quiet for a long time and he was just starting to think that she wasn't going to answer when she sighed. She drew up her knees and began to tell him her story.

"My name is Kaya," she said, her voice low and steady. "I'm not entirely sure how old I am, I've been on my own for a long time. I'm not sure where my pack is or how to find them. I don't know what pack I belong to or if I even had one in the first place. All I know is that when I was a child, I was abandoned somewhere in the woods far from here. Since that day, I learned to hunt and survive on my own. I knew there were others packs but I could never find them and I didn't know where one territory ended and another began, so I just wandered from place to place, trying to keep a low profile and avoid detection. I guess I just wasn't as careful this time around."

She had a sardonic grin on her face when she finished, but Mika had more questions than answers at this point.

"What do you mean by abandoned?" he asked with a frown. "Why would someone abandon their pup?"

Kaya tightened her grip on her knees. "At a young age, I was able to shift between forms," she explained, her voice tight with emotion as she drew her knees closer to herself. "I was maybe, I don't know, five or six when they first started happening. From what I've heard, most don't have their first shift until into their teen years?" She glanced at him for confirmation. When he nodded, she continued. "Because of that, I was labeled unnatural, even by our kind. And so my parents took me deep into the woods, treating it as just another family outing to explore the area, I had fallen asleep after playing and when I woke up, they were gone. I waited in that spot for days, but they never returned. So, I learned how to take care of myself, how to hunt, how to avoid detection, how to avoid large populations of people, things like that. You're actually the first of our kind I've seen in a long, long time."

Mika stared at her, he couldn't help it. Someone as young as she shouldn't have been through such hardships. She should've had a normal life, surrounded by friends and family to guide her, a stable home to go back to.

For a long time, neither said anything. What could one say after hearing a story like that? The sun had set some time ago, the forest coming alive as the creatures of the night began to stir in the darkness. Somewhere to their left, an owl hooted, and small mammals scampered through the undergrowth. There were bigger crashes as deer moved around before bedding down for the night. Kaya yawned and Mika too realized how tired he was. It had been a long day for both of them and it was finally catching up with them. They both spread put a little, attempting to get more comfortable.

Kaya was laying on her side, an arm under her head, her other arm draped across her body. Her mouth was open slightly, her breathing even as she drifted off to sleep. Mika studied her from where he lay in the darkness, his eyes easily finding her form in the dim light of the almost full moon. Her face looked so peaceful and young in sleep, if it wasn't for her filthy appearance, Mika thought that this could just be a normal outing with any member of his pack. He knew that soon, he would have to take her back to his pack, but how was he going to explain her story when he didn't even understand it himself? He shook his head, a better question was would she be ok surrounded by so many new faces all at once after being alone for so long.

_We can protect her, _his wolf told him. _As alpha, we have a duty to protect her._

Mika frowned. "We aren't an alpha," he told the wolf. "At least, not yet. Maybe someday if something happens to my father or I go off to start a pack of my own. Right now, there's not much we can do, but you're right about one thing, we need to protect her. Until she can stand on her own anyway."

The wolf huffed in displeasure but agreed that he had a point. Right now, all they could do was wait and see how the next few days turned out. If all went according to plan, Mika would meet back up with his pack and help Kaya find some sense of normality and companionship that every wolf needed.

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Thank you for reading please leave a comment/ review telling me what you think.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story besides the OCs. The others belong to Darren Shan, the creator of this amazing world.

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Chapter 2

As the days passed, Mika and Kaya were traveling back to Mika's pack. Kaya had improved greatly over the last few days. Her wounds were almost completely healed and she was able to eat more than when they'd met, though she still wasn't eating as she should. Mika had decided that it would be best to take their time returning to the pack, he wanted Kaya to be comfortable around him, to know that she really could trust him. Most of their time passed in silence as Kaya started to learn the lay of the land, though she still asked a few questions now and then. Right now, she'd asked what it was like to live with a pack and Mika told her about it. It was like an extended family, he'd explained. The pack wasn't as big as some of the others, there were only a little over 80 members currently, though there were others that came and went pretty much as they pleased as they had kin in other nearby packs, so most of the time it was relatively quiet.

There was one communal house where the alpha and beta lived in with their families and there were other pack homes that were nearby. People would come and go from the big house to give reports or to hang out. There was a meeting hall near the alpha house for meetings and gatherings of all sorts, birthdays, mating ceremonies, funerals, different things like that. The pack itself was large and friendly, willing to help each other through thick and thin, even if that individual happened to be an outsider visiting from a different pack, a rarity to find in any pack these days. Since the pack was one of the largest, they owned the large area of land so there was plenty of room to run around and explore, in both human and wolf form.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Kaya said after she'd absorbed all the information. "And that's where you grew up right?"

"That's right," he nodded. "Though my father's still healthy, I hope to take over as alpha one day. It's a pretty big responsibility, but I've received the best training since I was a pup and have helped my father with many issues over the years."

"That's really cool. It must be nice to be that loved and respected by your pack. I just hope they're as nice as you say they are."

"Nervous?" he asked, glancing over at her. They were almost to the heart of the territory, the area where the pack lived. The path had widened until the two of them could walk side by side comfortably. Kaya was fidgeting slightly, playing with her hands though she tried to hide it, a slight frown on her face.

"A little," she admitted with a sigh as she drew to a halt. "I'm worried that they won't like me. I don't have a rank and I have a questionable background. Would they really want someone like that in their pack?"

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with deep sadness and Mika knew she was thinking about what had happened with her parents, how they'd abandoned her just for being a little different. Mika's anger flared and his desire to protect her grew. He wanted to hold her, tell her that everything was alright now, that she had nothing to worry about. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her again. If his pack didn't accept her, then he would leave and take her somewhere that would.

His brain stuttered at that thought. Would he really be willing to cut all ties with this pack for this girl? Was it his alpha side that made him think this or was it something else? He glanced at her again and saw that she was still staring at him, waiting for him to answer. His expressions softened slightly.

"You have nothing to worry about," he told her. "I'm sure the pack will welcome you with open arms and if they don't, I'll take you somewhere that will."

"Why would you do something like that?" she gasped, her eyes wide with surprise. "Someone like you shouldn't go that far for someone like me. I'm don't even have the rank of an omega. Someone like you, who's so close to being alpha, shouldn't waste time worrying about someone like me. I'm nothing, a nobody, it doesn't make sense for you to throw away everything you've worked your whole life for."

Mika studied her as he weighed the question in his mind. Yesterday they had stopped at a river and they had cleaned up as much as they could. Though she was still a little too skinny and her skin too pale, she had cleaned up rather nice. They had even located one of the few hunting cabins that the pack allowed scattered though the area. Though he doubted there was going to be anything in them, he was pleasantly surprised that some articles of clothing had been left behind, enough to make a decent outfit for Kaya, though the clothes were a little big they would still suffice for now. Her long dark hair had been carefully combed through with a brush that had been abandoned and had been braided down her back, her dark eyes clouded by trepidation. He could see her struggling to understand why he'd go so far for her when she had done nothing to elicit that kind of treatment. She looked so small, so alone, and so scared that Mika felt his heart twinge in sympathy for her. At that moment, he knew that he would do anything, give up everything, to make sure she had a stable, happy life.

"Because I want too," he told her. "And don't say that you're a nobody. Your life is precious, it has meaning, don't let anyone tell you differently. You deserve the chance at a normal life, you've been through much in your youth, so if anyone's more worthy for a chance for normality it's you." She nodded, her head and eyes downcast, but Mika could feel that she still didn't entirely believe him. He turned to her, gently cupping her chin and raised it until she was looking at him. "I mean it. I'll do everything in my power, and more, to make sure you're happy and safe."

Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded again. "Thank you."

Just those two words filled him with relief, and he felt himself relax, he hadn't noticed that he'd been so tense. He released her chin and took her hand instead, giving it a comforting squeeze. He released her and began to lead her down the trail again.

"Come on," he said, "We're almost there. I'll introduce you to everyone. Just stay by my side and you'll have nothing to worry about."

Half an hour later, they arrived at the outskirts of a small town that seemed to have sprung up from the forest. The streets were paved and lined with a variety of different shops. A few locally-owned restaurants, one or two cafés, a combined printing and newspaper shop, a few gas stations, all in all, it was a nice, peaceful, quiet town. Kaya was trying to look at everything all at once and Mika chuckled quietly. She looked kind of cute, looking around with that much curiosity and enthusiasm. When he asked her what she thought so far, she smiled up at him.

"It's amazing," she said, her tone wistful. "I know that the pack's probably located a little way from town, but this still seems like a nice place, very peaceful."

They continued on in silence, Mika nodding a greeting when he was recognized by the townsfolk. Kaya was watching the interactions with interest and when the people glanced in her direction, she would smile a shy greeting. Mika got the sense that she wanted to hide behind him like a small pup but she held her ground, pride swelled in his chest. So far she was going an incredible job dealing with the small interactions she was having. Unfortunately, the real test was going to occurred when they joined the rest of the pack.

"Did you hear the rumor about the settlement to the east?" an older woman whispered to her companion as they passed within earshot. Mika paused and tilted his head slightly, subtly trying to hear what they were talking about. "They say that there was a small uprising against the leader. Apparently, someone wasn't happy about how things were and demanded that things be changed. When the leader didn't comply, it's said that he was killed by one of his own sons."

"That's horrible," the other woman gasped. "We might not have many dealings with them but that's still terrible. They always seemed like a nice group of people. I wouldn't have imagined something like that happening."

The first woman shrugged. "I'm just saying that's the rumor going around. Who knows if it's really true or not. I have some friends that live out that way, I might be able to get the real facts from them."

Mika twitched when he felt a hand wrap around his. He looked down into Kaya's concerned face, she had heard the women talking as well.

"Are you ok?" she asked in a low voice. "They were talking about your pack right?"

Mika nodded, hoping that he had heard wrong, that the women had simply been gossiping and spreading tales.

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Things are finally starting to get interesting, aren't they? Please leave a comment/review telling me what you think. Thanks as always :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except for the OC's, the others belong to Darren Shan.**

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**Chapter 3**

A little while later and a short walk down a tree-lined trail later, Mika could make out the houses on the outskirts of the compound. Normally, he would've been happy to see the familiar sights of home, but the things he'd heard in the town still bothered him. More than once, he'd heard people talking about an uprising or revolt and he found himself tensing, his wolf too was restless. Everything was quiet, too quiet. There were no sounds of daily life that he had grown accustomed to, no noise of neighbors calling out to each other in passing greeting, no happy laughter as the few cubs chased each other in play. Everything was too silent, too still. Normally at this time of day, there would be Scouts changing shifts, bringing reports of what they had seen and heard. Where was everyone? As they progressed further, Mika glanced around, unable to see anyone. Something was defiantly wrong.

"The air smells weird," Kaya said, glancing around nervously. "I can almost smell the fear and anxiety in the air. My wolf is anxious too, I can feel her pacing back and forth. Something bad is going to happen."

Mika nodded, so she could feel it too. Cautiously, the made their way to the alpha house. Mika led the way but Kaya stayed right on his heels, instinctually guarding his back against any threat.

They reached the house, but no sounds could be heard from inside. Mika started to climb the steps when Kaya grabbed the back of this shirt, pulling him back slightly. When he glanced back at her in brief annoyance, he noticed that she had a strange expression on her face, a mixture of confusion, concern, and curiosity crossed her face all at once. After a moment, he asked what was wrong, thinking that she was just worried about meeting everyone, but that thought was quickly swept away by what she said.

"I smell blood and lots of it," she glanced around, her guard rising as tension flooded her body. "This place reeks of death."

Mika had been so preoccupied with other thoughts that he hadn't noticed before, but she was right. Now that he had a second to stop and think, he realized that traces of blood did indeed hang in the air. Mika noticed two things as they approached the door. The first was that, by its faint smell, the blood was at least a few days old, meaning that whatever had happened had taken place not too long after he's initially left. The second was just how tense Kaya was, she looked like she was fighting the instinct to attack anything that gave even the slightest hint of movement.

When they entered the house, they crept from room to room, trying to find the source of the scent. Normally, the well lit, open expanse of the house was warm and inviting, encouraging the visitor to stop and relax, treat the home as their own, but now the rooms seemed colder, like the shadows that dwelled within stretched further and darker than they had been in the past. Mika studied each room, looking for anything that would tell him either what had happened or where anyone was. The house seemed to be abandoned, like everyone within the compound had just decided to get up and leave their lives behind.

Mika stepped into the study, looking to the last place he'd seen his father, standing over by the bookshelves, studying one of the thick leather-bound books that were scattered along the shelves. He tried to recall which particular book his father had been holding, thinking that it might provide some clue as to either his father's whereabouts or what had actually happened. Mika ran his fingertips over the worn spines of the books, taking little comfort from the familiar sensation. When he'd been a pup, he'd loved spending time in this room, spending hours reading tome after tome, familiarizing himself with the various laws and stories that were passed from one generation to the next. Even from a young age, he's wanted to be as well-versed as possible, already wanting to be as knowledgeable as he could in order to serve his pack well.

He frowned when he noticed that one of the books had been haphazardly shoved back onto the shelf. It wasn't like his father to treat the treasured tomes so roughly. It had been shoved between a book that contained one of the largest collections of fables about his kind and a book that contained all of the geological surveys of their territory over the years. He pulled the book out and saw that it was The Code and Keeping, a book that detailed all of the laws and procedures that each pack must adhere to if their species were to survive in the modern world, it had been one of the first books he'd studied and committed to memory. Quickly flipping through the pages, he tried to discover why the book had been left in such a state when he noticed that there were certain sections that had been roughly torn out. Mika stared at the missing pages, recalling what had once been writing on the pages. The laws and rights to challenges and territorial disputes as well as the laws on banishment and admittance to the pack.

Mika's frown deepened, why would someone remove these particular laws? Deciding to save this mystery for another time, Mika was putting the book back in its proper place when he froze, ears straining to hear any form of noise. The house was still quiet like he was the only thing residing in it, but that wasn't right, he knew that Kaya was somewhere in the depths of the house, but her presence seemed to be missing. Quickly exiting the study, he went in search of her, easily able to detect her new and unusual scent mixed in with the old and familiar. Picking his way through the house, he followed the trail up the stairs onto the second floor. Her scent was more concentrated here and he continued on until he came to his father's bedroom door. Once again, he'd been so focused on the task at hand that he'd almost missed something crucial. Not only was Kaya's scent coming from beyond the door, but so was the almost suffocating smell of blood and decay.

Slowly pushing the door open, he cautiously stepped inside. Mika slowly looked around the room, taking in as many details as possible. It had been some time since he'd last been in the room and a few things stood out to him. The room was brightly lit from the large bay windows that took up most of the western wall, a clear view of the compound and forest visible just beyond the banisters of the balcony right outside the double French doors to his left. A large king-sized bad sat proudly a small distance from the doors, allowing the occupant to awaken and see the view from the safety and comfort of the deep blue silk sheets. Lamps sat proudly on the nightstands on either side of the bed and an old warn dresser and vanity stood beside the door that lead to the walk-in closet on his right.

The door to the large bathroom was open slightly and Mika wandered over to it, the faint sound of movement emanating from the other side. Tensing in anticipation as he slowly pushed it open, he spotted Kaya inside, her tense back facing him. She was crouched on the floor, studying something and he relaxed slightly, relieved to see that she was safe. He opened his mouth to call out to her when he froze, his breath catching in his throat as his chest tightened as he caught sight of what she was examining, the body that was sprawled beside her.

The form was male, his large body contorted at an unnatural angle. It was clear both from the marks on his body and the condition of the room that he'd put up a hell of a fight. Mika studied the room, unable to bring himself to look too closely at the body just yet. Bottles and containers were laying on their sides, their contents spilled, coating the floor and partway up the wall. The sliding doors to the shower had been shattered, glass twinkling and shining, like a bizarre carpet of dew that gathered on the grass. The large mirror over the sink had been cracked, spiderwebbing from a central point, like a large mass had been thrown into it with incredible force, even the small window used to help with ventilation had been cracked and chipped.

Mika closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before allowing his eyes to settle on the body. He knew who it was, there was only one person allowed in the alpha's personal quarters, but he still found himself hoping, praying that he was wrong, but he knew he wasn't. He examined his father, laying in a pool of his own dried blood that had soaked and branched out in the groves of the tile floor, his eyes open and unseeing as they stared at him. There were scrapes, bruises, and lacerations crisscrossing his torso and arms. His nose had been broken and a large gash had torn open his forehead, smearing his face with a copper tint as blood had run along his gray skin. His eyes were rimmed in darkness, the left one was partially swollen, he'd been struck in the face.

Mika's knees felt weak and he slumped slightly, catching himself on the doorframe in order to prop himself up. His gaze dropped and he saw that his hand was shaking, though from shock or anger he couldn't tell. How dare someone do something like this? His father had been strict, yes, but he'd still been fair and just, but that was the way things had to be if the pack were to survive. The world was dangerous for their kind, granted it was less so then it had been generations ago, but the seemingly harsh laws existed for a reason. If humans knew that his kind existed, they would believe that they were the monsters of myths and legends, refusing to rest until they were destroyed.

A movement caught Mika's attention and he realized that Kaya had gotten up and walked over to him, placing her hand over his. She was staring up at him, her eyes full of concern and sadness.

"I know that I can't even begin to imagine how you feel," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm still sorry that something like this happened. If you want to, you can talk to me, I'm here for you, in any way I can be."

Mika nodded, it was the only thing he could do. He felt like his world had crashed down around him. His wolf was whimpering, saddened by the sudden, bloody loss of its alpha and father. In his mind's eye, he could see the creature laying down, its head resting on its paws, its ears flattened against its head. The wolf looked as despondent as he felt.

The rumors had been true, at least the part about his father being dead, and by the looks of everything, he really had been killed. In his daze, he barely registered that Kaya was leading him back into the bedroom, taking him over to the bed so he could sit for a moment and process what he had seen. She stayed by his side, watching him closely, her hand never leaving his. He focused on the warmth emanating from her hand, it was the only thing keeping him grounded right now. If she wasn't here, he had the vague feeling that he would've kept spiraling into the darkness that had settled around him.

Part of him felt that is actions were unacceptable, he was supposed to be an alpha, or at least a wolf of high rank, he shouldn't be showing such weakness in front of another, but his human side, the one that was in control right now, felt like everything was slipping away. How was he supposed to act in a time like this, was he really supposed to be detached to everything around him, was he to act like the death and destruction didn't affect him? No, it was moments like this that reminded him that he was still human, just a human that lived by different rules than others. He wasn't about to let the darkness consume him completely, but right now, he would allow it to numb him, at least until he could fully process what had happened, and more importantly, who had committed this foul act of betrayal and treachery.

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Please read and review to let me know how I'm doing. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except for the OCs, the others belong to Darren Shan.**

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**Chapter 4**

It had taken some time before Mika felt like he could start functioning again. Kaya had stayed by his side the entire time, holding his hand as she rubbed comforting circles on his hand with her thumb. She'd been silent, letting him work through his grief while reassuring him that he wasn't alone with just her presence. There had been moments when it seemed like she was going to say something but had then thought better of it. Eventually, he turned to her, wanting to both thank and apologize to her for staying with him in his moment of weakness, but from the look in her eye, he knew that wasn't necessary, the look in her eyes conveying more than words could ever say. Everyone, even members of their kind, were prone to moments of weakness and sadness, it was there to remind them that they were still human after all, but he still nodded his thanks as she pulled her hand away.

Pulling himself from the bed, Kaya had waited a few moments as she watched him closely, possibly waiting to see if he was going to lose himself again. He felt his expression soften slightly and she nodded, taking that as a sign that, though he wasn't entirely ok and wouldn't be for some time, he had managed to pull himself back together enough to focus on the task at hand again. Glancing briefly at the bathroom door, Mika knew he had to bury his father, but he also owed it to him to take over and avenge his death, he just needed to discover who had done it and why.

They left the bedroom and were heading towards the stairs to go back to the ground level when a noise drifted up towards them. Frowning, Mika followed the sound until he was back in front of the study. The door was closed, and he tried to recall if he'd closed it. He couldn't remember clearly but the voices on the other side distracted him. Though they were muffled, he could still make out what was being said, there were two people inside and they were discussing something intently.

"How many are left?" the first voice said in a flippant tone like this was information that was beneath him.

"Not many," was the answer. "With luck, the last two will be located within the hour. There are only so many places they can hide given the condition they were in when they left. The real problem will arise when Mika comes back. He'll know something's up when-"

"Don't use that name around me," the first growled. "That bustard has no claim on this pack. Besides, he wasn't available when the alpha passed, so the honor of taking up his mantel has been passed to me. As long as everything goes to plan, we'll have nothing to worry about. Soon, the scout team will report back with their findings and both he and that new bitch he potentially brings back will be dealt with accordingly. All of this will be blamed on him as long as you get your ass out there and do your damn job. Things will be a lot easier when the pack is as pure as possible. With those of lesser blood are out of the way, the rest of the pack will fall into place, content with the knowledge that all of the weakness has been weeded out."

Mika felt his anger flare, his wolf bristling and snarling. He knew those voices and that just made him angrier. One was Jonathan, he had been his father's beta, the second in command in regards to important pack matters. Jonathan had been like an uncle to him, someone he had looked up to for years, and while he hadn't always agreed with all of the alpha's decisions, he had still acted with the best interest of the pack at heart. It was the other voice that practically had Mika growling his fury out loud. So, it appeared that all of the rumors had been true, there had been a revolt, but it was even worse than originally thought.

Cain, his older half-brother, had orchestrated some kind of revolt and elimination of part of the pack by the sounds of it. Cain had always resented those he felt was beneath him, those who had human blood in their veins. He had thought that if someone was a half-blood, they were inferior to him and that they had no place within the pack or that they didn't deserve to have any association with the pack. Over the years, Cain hadn't made it a secret that pack members like that were a drain on the available resources and the pack would be better without them.

It had been those kinds of feelings that their father had made the decision that Mika was to take over as alpha. Cain had felt like he had been cheated out of what he'd felt was his and had stormed off in a fit of rage, it had been a number of years since anyone had seen Cain. He hadn't been banished exactly, but Cain had been told that until his ways of thinking had changed and he valued all of the lives in the pack, regardless of ancestry, he wasn't welcome back. There had been a few rumors that Cain had been traveling from territory to territory gathering like-minded individuals, both in the packs and among the scattered rogues across the continent, but it was also figured that they wouldn't get very far with their ambitions.

Mika had warned his father that this wasn't a wise assessment of the situation, that this group of individuals posed a threat not only to the pack, but to the humans as well, but until they actually acted, there wasn't much that could be done. Unfortunately, they hadn't kept as close of an eye on Cain and his followers as they should've, and by the time that Mika could actively do something, he had been sent out to investigate the rumor about Kaya. It wasn't like he blamed her, there was no way she would've known about something like this, but if he hadn't been tracking her down, or if they had just gotten back sooner, then he could've been here for his father and maybe been able to save him.

Mika shook his head, there wasn't any point regretting what could've been, this was the situation he had been dealt and this was what he had to deal with. Without wasting any more time, Mika threw the door open and walked into the room. The two men jumped at his sudden appearance and Cain opened his mouth, likely with an attempt to mouth off, but was prevented from saying anything as Mika glared at him, not even bothering to hide his anger. They stood there, silently regarding each other with barely concealed contempt when Cain's gaze drifted from Mika to the female just behind him.

"So," Cain said as he sneered at her. "I see you were able to track down the bitch."

"You will not speak to her like that," Mika snarled. "After what you have done, no had no right to speak at all."

"I don't know what you mean," Cain said, feigning ignorance. "What could I possibly have done? I have simply returned home after a long absence."

"A long absence was it? You make it seem like you simply went out on an extended scouting mission instead of basically being banished," Mika's gaze shifted to the other man beside Cain. Johnathan had been trying to shrink back to avoid detection. "And you, Johnathan, I would have expected better from you. To think that you were one of Cain's lapdogs, you bring shame to your lineage."

Johnathan seemed to shrink more under the scrutiny of Mika's intense gaze. He had tried to meet Mika's gaze on numerous occasions, but each instance was as unsuccessful as the last.

"At least his line is purer than others who claim to be one of us," Cain said. "He has nothing to be ashamed of."

"Betraying his pack is nothing to be ashamed of?" Kaya asked, as a deep frown formed on her brow. "I thought pack members put loyalty above all else."

Cain regarded her with cold, unfeeling eyes, "A bitch's only job is to rear pups and take care of her mates home," he said coldly. "She has no reason to voice her pointless, unnecessary thoughts."

"I told you not to talk to her like that," Mika said quietly, a growl on the edge of his voice. His hands were clenched at his sides, trembling slightly at the barely contained rage. "Talk to her like that again and I'll rip your throat out."

Cain twitched at the tone, his eyes widening for a brief moment before he glared at Mika and Kaya. "You dare take that tone with your alpha? You are nothing more than an unruly, arrogant pup."

"And you're nothing but a murderer," Kaya said, glaring at Cain as she took a step closer to Mika's side. "We know what you did, your scent is all over the room upstairs. You're nothing more than a coward who attacked his true alpha by literally stabbing him in the back," she glanced at Mika. "That's what happened, everything else was done after that moment, it was made to look like everything happened all at the same time, but it didn't."

Mika wanted to ask how she knew that, but his attention shifted when Cain took a step towards her, his face dark with rage. Mika's instinct was to pull her back and hid her behind himself to protect her, but she surprised him by taking a step forward, meeting Cain's challenge head-on.

"I'm not afraid of you," she told Cain, her gaze level and even. "You have no power here and there's nothing about you that's intimidating in the least. You're nothing more than a little dog that's yapping for attention."

Cain raised his hand as if to strike her, but he faltered under her heavy gaze, and when she took a step forward, he took a half step back. Mika allowed himself a moment to be impressed by the girl, there were few who would stand their ground, let alone fight someone who was in such a position. Kaya was about to press forward when she froze, her head cocked subtly to the side as if trying to detect a faraway sound.

"We're not alone," she said quietly. "Others are coming, and they'll be here soon."

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, the sounds of many feet could be heard from the front porch. Mika knew the footsteps of many of the pack members, but these were new to him. They were the ones that Cain had brought back with him. Had there only been a few, Mika was sure he could handle them, but judging from the sounds there were at least ten of them. While Mika knew that he wouldn't go down without a fight, there was Kaya to consider. He had the feeling that the girl could hold her own, having survived on her own for such a long time, she still wasn't back to full strength yet. His pride and anger wanted him to stay and fight, this was his home and his right to defend it, but his instincts were telling him it would be wiser to retreat for now, though he wasn't sure where they could retreat too.

As he was debating the best course of action, a yell from above startled them. Quickly scanning the room, Mika noticed for the first time that Johnathan had slipped from the room and was now thundering down the stairs.

"The alpha's been attacked," Johnathan yelled to the others. "The intruders are after Cain. Stop them before they kill him as well!"

Mika snarled in annoyance. This had been the plan all along, Cain had just stayed to serve as a distraction. Cain flashed a dark grin at Mika before lunging forward towards Kaya, a glinting knife in his hand. Reacting on pure instinct, Mika shifted and lunged at Cain, colliding heavily with him, sending both of them to the ground. Rolling quickly to his feet, Mike turned to face Cain just as Cain shifted into his own wolf form, his knife clattering to the floor. Cain's wolf was smaller than Mika with a slender build and a light brown coat. The two stood there for a moment, snarling at each other, before simultaneously leaping.

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The plot thickens. Let me know what you think. Please don't forget to read and review.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except for the OCs, the others belong to Darren Shan.**

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**Chapter 5**

Mika and Cain collided heavily, snarling and snapping at each other, trying to make any contact they could. Breaking away briefly, they quickly came back together, Cain managing to claw Mika in the face moments before could bite down on Cain's paw. It was a passing swipe, one that was more of a passing blow rather than one of power. Kaya wanted to join the fight but knew that she would only get in the way and serve as more of a distraction rather than an asset. As she was trying to think of a way to help, she heard the sound of pounding footsteps getting closer. Judging from the sound there were at least six others, those were not good odds. Kaya was debating what to do, she could brace the door to prevent the others from getting in, but that would trap them inside with Cain and they would have to deal with the others when the door was broken down, or they would have to force their way through and hope they could get away without being injured too badly. But would Mika run, that was the question. This was Mika's home, his pack, and birthright, and he had every right to defend it, to take it back. Could she make him leave?

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sounds of the fight. Mika was quickly gaining the upper hand. Cain was bleeding from cuts and bites to his legs and body, none of them life-threatening but there were more wounds on him then there were on Mika. It was amazing to watch Mika fight, every one of his movements were fluid and graceful. Even with the seriousness of the fight, Mika was calm and composed while it was becoming more and more obvious that Cain was getting angry and frustrated, this fight wasn't going the way he wanted and he was no longer thinking clearly. Cain was charging recklessly, his movements rushed and impulsive, he was becoming more unpredictable and that was making him dangerous.

Apparently not liking who his fight was fairing with Mika, Cain suddenly lunged at Kaya, knocking them both to the ground. She raised her arms to protect her face and throat moments before his head snapped down. Cain's mouth clamped around her arm, his teeth digging in deeply, causing her to yelp in pain. Kaya kicked at his body, trying to dislodge his grasp. Panic and fear were racing through her body and she desperately tried to break free. She could feel the tears of pain forming in her eyes as she clawed at Cain's face and kicked at his body again.

Mika was suddenly by her side, his teeth sinking into Cain's neck. Cain yelped and as soon as he opened his mouth, Kaya jerked her arm away and scurried away. She came to a sudden stop when her back hit the large oak desk and she covered her wound with her free hand, trying to stop the blood that was flowing from the wound. When she looked back at Mika and Cain, she saw that Mika still had his jaws around Cain's neck, though now he had pinned on his back to the floor. It seemed like the fight was over when the door was thrown open and others flooded the room, Johnathan at the head of the group.

"It was them," he said gesturing to both Mika and Kaya. "They're the ones who killed the alpha. Mika has betrayed all of us and he had the girl help him. Capture them so they can stand trial and be punished for these transgressions."

The men advanced towards them but came to a weary stop when Mika snarled at them, his grasp on Cain tightened slightly and Cain let out a little whimper of pain. The men tensed slightly but didn't move, though they did glare heavily. Mika shifted his gaze over to Kaya, he could see that she was trying not to shake from pain and fear and while she was doing a good job of hiding it, he knew that she was moments away from losing her composure. He had to get them away, he had promised to help her, to give her a normal life, yet all he'd done was get her injured and put her in more danger then she had been before. Guilt raced through him but when he made eye contact with her and saw the confident nod she gave him, he knew that she would follow his lead. She still trusted him and was willing to follow his lead, no matter what choice he made. He could feel his pride in her swell and he gave her a subtle nod in return. She would wait for his signal.

Mika's gaze shifted back to the others and, maintaining eye contact with them, he slowly released his grip on Cain's throat before taking a few steps back. Once he saw that Kaya was back on her feet, he padded over to her, bumped her hand with his nose. She looked down at him, and though her expression didn't change, it was still tense and nervous, he saw her eyes soften slightly. She was ready. Mika turned sharply and bolted for the group standing in the doorway. There were panicked yelps and grunts as he plowed through them and when he glanced over his shoulder, he had that Kaya had shifted and was right on his heels. He was relieved to see that even with her injury she was able to keep pace with him. They flew through the front door just as there were shouts behind them with orders to capture them, dead or alive.

Jumping off the porch, Mika headed left and together they quickly made their way to the edge of the compound, crashing through the underbrush. Once they had made it a considerable distance, Mika led them down an embankment and shifted back into his human form, keeping low to avoid detection and turned back to Kaya, who had also shifted back.

"Let me see your injury," he said as he reached for her wound.

"It's nothing serious," she said, moving the wound away from his touch. "Right now we should be focusing on getting away and finding someplace safe. Once we do that, I promise I'll let you fuss over my wounds."

Mika grunted in dissatisfaction but knew she was right, this was now enemy territory and they needed to move.

The two wolves slipped through the forest, carefully weaving their way through the trees. They had been traveling like this for days now, stopping only for a short rest to recover some energy before moving on again. Mika had a general idea about where they were heading. There had been a rumor whispered about for years that just on the edge of the four largest territories there was an area of land that was neutral land that, while occupied by a pack itself, they offered sanctuary to those who would ask, provided they had no ill intent. It was a safe haven, a place where they could gather their strength and plan their next step. They faced two main problems at the moment, the first was managing to stay ahead of their pursuers, so far they had managed to stay one step ahead of them but he knew that if they relaxed their guard for even a moment, if they made one wrong move, then it was all over.

The other was a little harder to manage, the whispers had never specified where this elusive pack made their home. There wasn't even a guarantee that this pack even existed and yet Mika was placing some semblance of hope that they really were out there and that they would be willing to help them in their time of need. Mika suppressed a sigh he could feel building. What were they doing, was this really the best option they had, what were they going to do if they were chasing an empty rumor? This wasn't the first time Mika had had thoughts like this, there were many times over the last few days when he questioned if what he was doing was right.

Glancing out the corner of his eye, he was glad to see that Kaya was still by his side, though he was concerned that she hadn't said anything since they had first fled the compound. He couldn't help wondering what she was thinking about, was she blaming him for everything that had happened, was she questioning why she was still following him, where he was leading her? He wanted to ask her these questions, but he found himself hesitating to say anything, he didn't even want to admit to himself that he was afraid of how she would answer.

He was startled from his thoughts when he felt her brush against his side. When he looked at her, she was looking at him with concerned confusion. She took a step closer to him, he hadn't even realized that he had stopped moving, and brushed up against him, rubbing her face into the thick fur of his neck. Mika felt himself relax at the gesture, how was it that she could calm him so with these simple gestures, how was it she always seemed to know just what to do? He had lost track of the number of times she had done this already, but he was grateful each time she did, even if he never said so out loud. She had done more for him in the short time they had known each other than others had done in a long time.

Kaya suddenly pulled away from him, her ears erect, swiveling around like she was trying to focus in on a specific sound. She was on guard, tension running through her body as her fur started to stand on end, making her appear bigger than she was. Her nose was high in the air, her nostrils flared as if trying to capture the faintest scent on the wind. Mika was about to cock his head in confusion when a scent drifted past him and he froze. They were coming and they were a lot closer than he wanted them to be. Mika cursed himself mentally, he should've been paying closer attention, he should've been focused on what was happening around them, this was not the time to be lost in his own thoughts as he had been. Nudging Kaya slightly he gestured in the direction their pursuers were coming from and she nodded. Moving as one, they headed in the opposite direction, moving as quickly and quietly as they could.

Unfortunately, as they ran, he realized that it wasn't just members of the pack that were tracking them, there was the distinctive scent of human mixed in. Mike cursed again, the pack had allied itself with professional hunters just to track them down. This was the worst thing that could've happened. Though it was true that the pack had little to no dealings with the human world, if they had convinced the humans that there were man-eaters roaming the area, the humans would willingly and gladly take up arms in order to protect themselves.

A movement caught Mika's attention and he threw himself into Kaya just as a gun went off, they tumbled off the small path as a plume of dirt erupted where they had been. They quickly scrambled to their feet and took off running again, zigzagging through the trees in an attempt to be harder to see and shoot. The ground was steadily sloping downward and before long they came to a river. The quickly moving current made crossing all but impossible, though Mika still paused for a moment to consider their next course of action. He was relieved to see that Kaya was still with him, though they were both panting heavily. A shot beside them made them both jump. They needed to decide on a course of action, and they needed to do it now. Following his instincts, Mika ran off down the riverbank, Kaya right on his heels.

A thunderous noise filled the air and both wolves slid to a stop just before the ground before them disappeared. They had run to the edge of a waterfall, one so tall that it was impossible to see not only how deep the water below was but whether there was even a safe place to land if they had no choice but to jump. Turning their backs to the edge, they were about to run back the way they'd come when they found that they had been surrounded and were being herded backward.

With nowhere left to go, Mika faced the group of seven men, stepping out in front of Kaya to protect her, a deep growl of warning defiance rumbled in his chest, momentarily making the men pause. One man stepped forward his gun raised level at Mika's head. The growl deepened when Mika saw that it was Johnathan.

"Remember men, these are dangerous wolves that have tasted the blood of men," Johnathan said, addressing the others. "As you know, normally the hunting of wolves is forbidden, but we have special permission to take these wolves out for the good of our community. Time to take them out."

The men leveled their guns but before anyone could fire off a shot, Mika lunged. The men tried to scatter but not all of them were lucky enough to getaway. Mika landed on one of the men's backs but before he could even scream, Mika clamped his jaws around the man's throat, choking to death on his own blood. Another scream tore through the air and Mika glanced over his shoulder to see that Kaya had taken out another. A shot tore through the air and Mika saw Kaya stagger, she'd been hit. Ignoring everything else around him, Mika was by her side in an instant as she collapsed to the ground. Her breathing was ragged and she whimpered weakly when she tried to raise back onto her feet. She was shaky and unsteady, but she was standing, though she looked ready to drop at any moment. It broke Mika's heart to know that she was in this position because of him. If she hadn't been with him, she never would've been shot, she'd be free and safe. He'd done nothing but bring more pain and suffering into her life, he didn't know how she was ever going to forgive him.

A noise behind him drew him back to the present, they were surrounded again and this time there was only one choice to make. Mika looked at Kaya and she weakly nodded her head, she'd had the same thought. She rubbed her face against the side of his neck before looking him in the eyes. If this was their last moment together then so be it. Mika returned her gesture before looking her in the eyes again and as soon as their gazes broke, together as one they raced for the river and threw themselves in, leaving their fate in the hands of the raging currents as they were carried towards the waterfall.


End file.
